


In the Heat of the Desert Sun

by sodappend



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Magic, Original Character(s), Sexual Slavery, Slavery
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-02
Updated: 2014-11-02
Packaged: 2018-02-23 15:04:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2551922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sodappend/pseuds/sodappend
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aiichirou, a pleasure slave, is gifted to Rin, the ruler of a powerful desert kingdom in which slavery is illegal. As a mutual attraction grows between them, they must learn to cope with Aiichirou's past as he struggles with his new status as a free man. Unbeknownst to either of them, their meeting has started something much bigger than either of them could have imagined.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In the Heat of the Desert Sun

**Author's Note:**

> Additional warnings/tags will be added as future chapters are posted.

There was nothing Rin wanted to do more than to run his sword through the man standing in front of him.

The ambassador hailed from Samezuka, one of the newer kingdoms that had established themselves towards the south across the great river. He gestured proudly to the boy kneeling in front of him, heaping praises onto his great ruler, how he was so generous to have presented Rin with such a superb gift straight from the King’s own harem, ignorant of the tension that steadily had built in Rin’s posture with each word he uttered, his fists clenching on the rests of his throne.

The said ‘gift’ had not moved from his position on the floor in front of him, kneeling prostate with his forehead delicately touching the tips of his fingers. The boy was dressed in a robe made of a light material that adhered to his slight form and pooled around him like water. His face was obscured by a veil - Rin had been able to see only a faint silhouette of the boy’s face against the light as he had approached, and could discern nothing else but his gender by the styling of the golden bands that were wrapped around his arms and ankles. Rin narrowed his eyes at the show of submission and turned his gaze back towards the ambassador.

“I will accept His Highness’ offering, with grace,” Rin said, his fingernails digging sharp crescents into his palm as he attempted to rein in his anger, “but in the future, I must ask you and your King to keep in mind that this kingdom does not practice or condone slavery in any form.”

The ambassador paled, finally catching on to Rin’s dark mood.

“Of course,” he said, voice wavering, tilting his head forward in a shallow, penitent bow and his hands going still at his sides, “I am sure our great King meant no offence. We simply are not aware of the differences in our countries’ customs - something that I hope will be resolved with this new treaty.”

Rin grit his teeth, knowing for certain that the man, or at least his king, was not being entirely truthful. Kingdoms like Iwatobi - unimaginably old, moulding themselves to the surrounding land rather than fighting against it - were seen by these new, ‘civilised’ kingdoms as backwards, populated by barbarians and unwilling to adapt to changing times. This was untrue. his kingdom had, through history, made advances of its own that the young cities could not even imagine existed, judging from what his scholars had learnt and experienced. However, amongst the misinformation that was rampant in those new cities, the rumours that they had not adopted slavery was one of the few that reflected the truth. Rin was thoroughly disgusted by the very idea of the slavery that these people practiced, and as its ruler knew that any decent citizen of Iwatobi would be as well.

For a fleeting moment he deliberated rejecting the 'wonderful' gift. Such an act would surely strain the fragile new alliance he had forged with Samezuka after a almost a century of uneasy peace, perhaps even sparking another a war if the rumours of its ruler’s temper were to be believed. While his kingdom could certainly afford it - the people of Iwatobi were fierce warriors, and the kingdom’s prosperity had only increased as centuries went by, he did not want to bring another full-fledged war to his people when the last one had ended not more than a hundred years before. He sighed inwardly. What was he to do with a Samezukan pleasure slave?

“I also hope for a greater understanding between our people to develop in the coming months,” he said, inclining his head in both acknowledgement and a dismissal. “I implore you to enjoy the rest of the banquet. Regretfully, I must retire for the evening.” he said, before turning his attention towards the servants standing at attention beside him.

“Show the ambassador’s… gift to the appropriate chambers in the north of the palace. I will speak with him there later. He will stay here until more appropriate arrangements can be made.” he said, before standing and leaving the hall.

His blood was boiling as he walked back to his chambers. He had not missed the lecherous smile that had graced the ambassador’s face when he ordered the slave boy to be placed in a chamber in the royal wing of the palace. The assumption that he would touch the boy in his current state sickened him. Surely the Samezukan king was testing him. There was no other line of reasoning Rin could imagine that would account for the gifting of a slave to the ruler of Iwatobi, or other kingdoms like it.

He arrived at his chambers and dismissed the servants waiting inside, not wanting to subject them to his foul temper. He undressed himself, leaving the heavy formal robes he had worn to receive the emissary in a crumpled heap on the floor before washing in the bowl of heated water at the side of the room and changing into a pair of loose trousers, foregoing a tunic for a thin sash that he draped around his shoulder.

He stepped out of his chambers and allowed a servant to lead him to the slave boy’s room, only a few doors away from his own. The servant knocked and opened the door, holding it to let Rin pass. The room was dark, illuminated only by a few candles, the heavy drapes drawn over the large windows.

The slave boy - former slave boy, Rin corrected in his head - was kneeling stiffly at the very edge of the large bed in the centre of the room, dressed the same as he had been when he was presented in the receiving room. Rin turned towards the two servants standing on either side of the door.

“Why has he not been made more comfortable?” he asked them, gesturing towards the boy’s state of dress. 

“He refuses to be touched, Your Highness.” one of the servants said, nervously giving a shallow bow. Rin nodded and gestured for them to leave, sighing. He may have been the ruler of a powerful kingdom, but he had no idea how to handle a situation like this. Slavery was outlawed for a reason - it was unnatural for a person to be completely subservient to the will of another, and he had no idea how to approach the boy who he assumed was trained to be so.

Rin approached the bed when the two servants had shut the door behind them. The boy seemed even slighter in the dim lighting of the room. He held his shoulder almost painfully stiff, as if he wanted to hunch them, and his hands were clenched in his lap.

“Do you feel well?” he asked. The boy gave a minute nod. Rin sighed and walked to the window, pushing the drapes apart and bathing the room in the orange light of the setting sun, before walking back to the bed.

“Raise your veil,” he said gently. The boy’s hands trembled as he lifted them to do so. Rin tamped down the flash of irritation that surged through him. Did the boy fear that he would do something?

The boy lifted his veil, then after a pause removed it completely from his head and set it delicately beside him. Rin was taken aback by his hair. In the late-day sun, it glinted like orange starlight, and he could only wonder what it looked like under proper illumination. His skin as well was evidently pale and unmarred, even in the inadequate brightness. The only blemish had seen on the boy was a small brand on the inside of his wrist as he had removed his veil. Likely it was one that would mark him as a slave forever.

“What is your name?” he asked. The boy started, as if he hadn’t expected Rin to speak.

“I am to be called anything His Highness wishes for me to be called,” he said, not looking up. His voice was small and sweet, but barely audible whispered under his breath. Rin masked his vexation at the boy's excessive timidness and knelt in front him, ignoring the yelling of his old tutor’s voice in his head about protocol and improper conduct.

“Look at me,” he said, and had to force himself to not hold his breath when the boy obeyed. He was utterly captivating. He had expected the boy to be beautiful, considering what he was, but the clarity of the blue eyes that met his sent a shock through him and stirred something inside him that he couldn’t place. He shook himself to dispel the feeling.

“Slavery is outlawed in my kingdom. All people living here are responsible for their own lives and actions and carry their own name. What was the name bestowed upon you at birth?” he asked, hoping that the air of authority he was projecting was encouraging the boy to speak instead of frightening him further.

“I- Aiichirou. I was given the name Aiichirou.” he said, sounding unsure. Rin smiled at him in a manner that he hoped seemed reassuring.

“What was your father’s name?” he asked, not looking away from Aiichirou’s eyes.

“Nitori, Your Majesty, but I never knew him, he-“ Rin held a hand up, silencing the long explanation that he could sense coming.

“From this day your full name is Nitori Aiichirou, and you are freeman of Iwatobi,” he said, placing a hand on Aiichirou’s cheek in the gesture of a royal promise, ignoring his startled jump. “I will call for you to join me for the morning meal tomorrow so that we may discuss your arrangements and future here, but for now, rest. It has been a long journey for you.”

Rin stood and left the room, heading back to his own quarters after instructing the two servants waiting outside to provide Aiichirou with more comfortable clothing and clear broth from the banquet, as well as anything else he may require.

When he tried to sleep much later that night, he found himself kept awake by the memory of electric blue eyes.

He decided that the day ahead would be a long one.

**Author's Note:**

> This AU is loosely based on the ending of season one.
> 
> I'm not sure how long this will be yet. At least 15 chapters. I plan for future chapters to be much longer, around 3,000-5,000 words - this was more a prologue than anything.  
> Updates will likely be slow until winter break, but please bear with me!
> 
> Thank you again to [Chy](http://archiveofourown.org/users/chymandah) for agreeing to be my ~~guinea pig~~ beta.
> 
> Thanks for reading : >


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